The present invention relates generally to a system for the detection of the presence of a passenger exiting a transit vehicle and, more particularly, to such a system which detects when a passenger wishes to exit the transit vehicle through a remotely located exit door and when the passenger has cleared the exit door so the door may be safely closed.
Remotely actuated exit doors are well known in transit vehicles. Such doors typically function to permit passengers to exit from the transit vehicle when the transit vehicle reaches a designated transit stop. Typically, once the transit vehicle has safely stopped, the driver or operator actuates a control to “enable” the rear exit doors to be opened by a passenger wishing to exit the transit vehicle. In some such transit vehicles, the passenger must physically touch a handle or other portion of one of the rear exit doors, giving it a small push to thereby open the exit doors. In other transit vehicles, a passenger wishing to exit need only press an exit button or otherwise actuate a sensor associated with the doors to automatically open the doors to permit the passenger to exit the vehicle.
Over the years, many systems have been developed for detecting the presence of an exiting passenger passing through an exit doorway, particularly an exit doorway located remotely from the driver or operator of the vehicle. Such systems include mechanical sensing devices, ultrasonic sensing devices, and the like.
While some such prior art systems function reasonably well, there is a need for an improved passenger detection system which is less expensive to install, operate and maintain, yet which is highly effective in detecting the presence of passengers exiting the transit vehicle through a remotely located exit door to prevent the door from closing too soon.